Escape From a Deserted Island With Enemy Female Soldiers

chapter 65



64 – How to Overcome Trauma (4)

The day broke.

“We’ll take care of the water with the purification stone, and prioritize finding food.”

The four of us left Sabin by boat. We circled around the island to the opposite side and landed in an area with gentle fields.

Fortunately, there was edible stuff in the fields. Grass roots, or Lakut beans, a kind of primitive grain. Bugs and small reptiles that roamed between the low bushes were also excellent sources of energy.

“……It’s not exactly abundant, though.”

“Better than nothing, I guess.”

A barren island, so just having something to eat was something to be grateful for.

If you had to pick one good thing about this island, it was, paradoxically, fire.

Fire was everywhere in the fields. These fires didn’t spew smoke or spread outward. They quietly burned in place, a low simmer.

Still just as hot, though, so you could slap a fish down and it’d cook up quick.

I skewered a freshly caught lizard on a branch and roasted it. A little meat and water to kill the hunger, then we kept moving.

“Building a base on this island won’t be efficient. Better to just grab food as we find it and thoroughly scout the island, don’t you think?”

I nodded and unfolded the stone tablet. I compared it to the tablet I’d been completing as we scouted, recording the current terrain, and pinpointed where the cliffs should be. It didn’t take long before the direction was clear.

“The leader should be that way.”

Riyo and the Saintess advanced, keeping watch. Riyo, especially, was skilled in scouting and recon, always warning us about approaching monsters a step ahead.

I turned around.

“Haa, haa.”

Valkyrie was panting, breathless.

No surprise, really, since everything around us was ablaze.

As long as you didn’t get too close, there was no worry about getting burned, but for Valkyrie, just seeing it all was probably devastating.

She must’ve decided that since she caused trouble for everyone yesterday, she’d follow along today, but that’s easier said than done. There’s plenty in this world you can’t do with will alone.

I held out my hand.

“Take it.”

“……”

“I can see how hard it is for you, alright? Not gonna take it?”

Valkyrie grabbed my hand. At the same moment, her trembling gradually subsided.

*

Rachel thought. This won’t do.

Sooner or later, she has to overcome the trauma. If she, the frontline, can’t use her strength, she’ll only hold everyone back.

Rachel walked with all her might. The crackling of the fire rang in her ears. Even with her eyes closed and ears plugged, it vividly reached her skin. Every step was as heavy as carrying a full pack.

-Mom! Dad!

The voices kept coming.

-Daisy! Olivia!

She knew they were hallucinations, but it was agonizing. The screams just wouldn’t stop.

This is no good. Too scary. Reaching my limit.

Then, the wizard reached out his hand.

“Take it.”

His voice was flat, without any inflection. But inside it, there was a subtle concern.

Calculated favor, or is he just like this?

There was no time to think. She wanted to borrow the hand of even an enemy, so she took it. She squeezed her eyes shut tighter and ignored the hallucinations by counting sheep.

After a while, something changed.

“……!”

Her panting breath slowly subsided. The hallucinations were also fading away. The warmth felt through the wizard’s hand was driving away the fear.

“Just stick with me and you won’t get burned, so don’t worry too much. Even if something happens, don’t panic. I’ll be your firefighter. Got it?”

The wizard was saying something, something. She couldn’t understand.

But why? Relief washes over her.

Rachel shook her head hard. I must be going insane. Finding relief in front of the enemy? I’m definitely losing it. Why don’t I just offer up my life right now?

“Um, Colonel Karsten.”

Tiria, who was walking ahead, turned around. She looked at Rachel with a worried expression.

“Major, are you feeling unwell? Are you getting short of breath, or maybe hearing strange noises? Should I cast a stability spell on you?”

“No, I’m alright without the spell. But instead…”

Time to prove the hypothesis.

“Could you hold my hand and walk with me?”

Tiria blinked. Her gaze fell downwards. Rachel and the mage were holding hands tightly like lovers. Tiria’s expression soured.

“Why don’t you just lock arms?”

“Pardon?”

“I was asking why you don’t just lock arms with me. If the sensation of being with someone else is clearer, wouldn’t it be easier to overcome the trauma?”

Rachel nodded. That was exactly the hypothesis she was trying to prove. Not just a mage, but whether being in contact with anyone else lessens the fear.

It seemed to make sense. Olivia and Daisy had actually played that role before. Thanks to her two comrades always comforting her by her side, Rachel was able to endure for a long time on the battlefield where shells were bursting everywhere.

Rachel and Tiria walked arm-in-arm like that for several minutes.

“hhh, hhh…”

Rachel’s breathing started to become rapid again.

“Major? Major! Snap out of it!”

“I’ll try.”

Erich quickly stepped forward and pulled Rachel into an embrace. He sighed softly and whispered in Rachel’s ear.

“Breathe, it’s okay. It’s okay.”

Strangely, as soon as I heard those words, a sense of relief spread through me again. Erich took Rachel’s hand and started walking again.

Tiria’s eyes momentarily flashed green, but no one, including herself, noticed.

“It seems like that area over there is cliff zone. Valkyrie looks like she’s struggling, so let’s just explore up to there today and head back.”

I felt strange.

Why is it that I only feel relief when I’m in contact with this man, and not anyone else?

That was what confused Rachel more than anything.

*

Early evening.

Back in Sabin, we were checking the food and water supplies when two lava rock-covered lizards emerged from a sand pit.

One of them breathed fire. Valkyrie immediately squeaked and cowered.

Two of them.

Nana and Riyo could each handle one, but now was the time to make a different choice.

“Rachel.”

I called her name. Rachel looked up.

“Take this.”

I handed her the spear. Then, with the Holy Woman’s help, I conveyed my meaning.

“To overcome trauma, you have to face it head-on first. If you just keep running away, you’ll live like this forever. You want to cook for someone you like someday, and go see fireworks together, right? Wouldn’t you be upset if you couldn’t do that because of things like this?”

I took out a canteen and shook it.

“I’ll help you. Even if you catch fire, I’ll put it out, so you have to try and catch one. You have to overcome it.”

“N-no…..”

“You can’t? Disappointing. I didn’t realize you were so weak.”

I stared intently at Valkyrie.

A very brief silence.

Then, Valkyrie’s eyes changed. That murderous intent from when she tried to kill me was returning. Valkyrie gripped my hand tightly, forcing out the words.

“…Fine, whatever.”

From observing her yesterday and today, it seemed Valkyrie’s fear lessened when she had physical contact with me.

I had a pretty good idea why.

We shared memories when we took down Siren.

The source of Valkyrie’s trauma was that incident that day. And in the space recreated by Siren’s illusion magic, I interfered with Valkyrie’s past memories.

Strictly speaking, I overwrote them. I responded to her desperate cries for help, and gave those black mages trying to hurt her a taste of rock.

Even though I’m this woman’s enemy, I can probably give her a sense of relief because of that.

[‘Honestly, I can’t explain it any other way.’]

[‘The women’s troubles are starting.’]

Women’s troubles my ass. My life’s hanging by a thread right now.

I squeezed out mana and spoke to the Saintess.

“Valkyrie and I will take the front. The two of you, provide support from the rear.”

“Majors, are you really sure about this?”

“If we’re not sure, will the enemy not attack?”

Shaaak!

No sooner said than a lizard came charging in.

Two lizards in total.

One of them was big, the other relatively small. The big one was the attacker. As big as he was, he moved kind of slow.

Whoosh!

He spat out a fireball. Valkyrie and I, still holding hands, dodged together. We both rolled in exactly the same direction.

The lizard monster charged like a flood. The ground shook.

“–.”

The Saintess spoke the unspeakable, and a flash erupted. It was behind Valkyrie and me. Even if it blew up, it wouldn’t affect our vision. The monsters hesitated.

Valkyrie would never miss this chance.

“Mage!”

“I know!”

We ran together. She gripped her spear tight, and I pulled out the Icestone. The Icestone was an ice-type magic stone I made yesterday after observing the island’s ecosystem.

Just as the lizard was about to shoot another fireball.

[“Freeze.”]

Crack!

I sealed his mouth shut with the Icestone.

At the same time, Valkyrie slashed the lizard’s flank with her spear. She gritted her teeth and hammered in divine power. The monster’s belly skin burst with a *pop*.

[“…You b*stards!”]

The lizard monster spoke for the first time. This one had intelligence.

He hastily retreated, digging into the ground.

“Wizard!”

The fox sisters, who had been keeping the little lizard in check, stuck to my side. She handed an axe to both me and Valkyrie, one each.

One axe brimming with holy power.

The other, overflowing with magical power.

A smile spread across my face as I examined the mana-filled axe. Has my skill already improved this much? I guess this is why professors keep graduate students around.

Having received the axe, it’s only right to take a swing at a monster.

A creature burst from the sand behind us. But I had already anticipated it. Valkyrie and I turned at the exact same moment, in the same direction, and swung our axes at the monster in a fluid motion.


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